Mount Washington 'Climb to the Clouds' Hillclimb returning to New Hampshire in 2020

Event with a rich history has been contested just twice since 2010

Mt. Washington Auto Road

Mt. Washington Auto Road

After a three-year hiatus, racing will return to Mount Washington in 2020.

One of the nation’s oldest automobile races, the Mount Washington Hillclimb, will be returning to the northeast’s tallest peak at Gorham, New Hampshire, July 9-12, 2020. Organized and sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire, the 2020 Mount Washington Hillclimb will serve as a three-day motorsports festival that will include an 80-car field, in addition to a contingent of rare vintage race and rally cars. "We're incredibly excited to once again welcome back the Climb to the Clouds event. This race has been a part of the Auto Road scene since 1904 and we're proud of this racing tradition and our place in automotive history,” said Mount Washington Auto Road general manager Howie Wemyss. “We love the action, the fans and the drivers with their teams — it's such an amazing and colorful weekend filled with individual stories and drama. And we're always happy to see competitors test themselves and their machines while they go for a win or the chance of a new record." Also known as the “Climb to the Clouds,” the Mt. Washington Hillclimb is one of North America’s oldest motorsports events, first run in July 1904, seven years before the first Indianapolis 500 and 12 years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado. The Climb to the Clouds was run sporadically from 1904-1961, then not again until 1990 when it was run consistently until 2001. Following a 10-year hiatus, the Mount Washington Hillclimb returned in 2011 as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Mount Washington Auto Road which first opened on Aug. 8, 1861.

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Travis Pastrana is off on his record run in 2017.

Since the 2011 event, the Hillclimb has taken place in 2014 as well as 2017. The 2020 Mount Washington Hillclimb will celebrate 30 years since it was brought back in 1990. “The Sports Car Club of New Hampshire is delighted to once again partner with the Mount Washington Auto Road to host the 2020 Mount Washington Hillclimb,” said SCCNH president Nick Wilson. “Formed in 1955, the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire has a long history of successfully organizing and hosting a variety of top-level motorsports events and is proud to be the returning organizer of the Climb to the Clouds, the oldest motorsports event of its type in North America.” The current record time of 5 minutes, 44.72 seconds for the 7.6-mile course to the top of Mount Washington was set by multitime X Games gold medalist, Nitro Circus creator and five-time U.S. Rally champion Travis Pastrana at the 2017 Subaru Mount Washington Hillclimb. Driving a Subaru Rally Team USA/Vermont SportsCar-prepared 2017 Subaru WRX STI rally car with over 600 hp, Pastrana crushed the previous course record time of 6:09.09, which was set in 2011 by his Subaru Rally Team USA teammate David Higgins, from Wales, by nearly 30 seconds. Averaging close to 90 mph along the 7.6-mile course in 2017, Pastrana also recorded speeds in excess of 130 mph above tree line.

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Carroll Shelby prepares to take on the climb at Mount Washington in 1956.

Following his record-setting drive, Pastrana said, “This record means a lot to me. To get the record here at Mount Washington is real close to everyone’s heart at Vermont SportsCar and Subaru Rally Team USA. To go up there with nearly double the horsepower (600 hp) by yourself, without a co-driver, having to memorize the 150-plus turn course has taken months of work and memorization. It means a lot. It’s really cool.” Pastrana added, “I would love to see other drivers and manufacturers come over and see what they can do against us because I think we have the best car right here. This Subaru is the best car I’ve ever driven. That run up the hill is going to take some work. I’m not saying the time I set can’t be beat ... but Ken Block, Rhys Millen, get your butts out here and let’s have some fun! The next time they open this mountain, bring what you’ve got!” There’s truly no question that the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road is one of the ultimate challenges for driver and automobile alike anywhere in the world. The serpentine road is lined with trees on the lower half and dramatic drop-offs above halfway as it winds its way to the 6,288-foot summit of the northeast’s tallest peak. The drivers selected to compete in the 2020 Mount Washington Hillclimb will race on the very same road as the original 1904 Climb to the Clouds competitors. Of course, the surface has changed a lot since those early years with nearly 90 percent of the road now covered with asphalt and a mere 10 percent of the road’s surface remains hard-packed gravel. For 2020, the Mount Washington Hillclimb will also retain the same competition classes that were developed for the 2017 event which include the Unlimited Class as well as Open, Prepared, High Performance Showroom Stock, America’s Rally Cross (ARX), 2WD & 4WD Rally, Modified Electric, Stock Electric and Vintage. Other event-specific details, such as competitor registration, entry fees, car construction, safety rules, event schedule and volunteer information will be shared in the coming weeks on the event’s official website, climbtotheclouds.com